At Least 17 Dead As Historic Flooding Closes Roads, Cuts Off Towns

Several days worth of record-breaking rain has swollen rivers and pushed water to levels without modern precedent in North and South Carolina as the center of Tropical Depression Florence moves through those states.

Emergency crews are working to reestablish a route to Wilmington, N.C. where flooding has cut off the city of about 119,000 residents. Authorities say roads leading to Wilmington are completely submerged, with officials working on plans to try and get supplies to the city by air or water. Military field rations known as MREs, along with supplies of water, will be delivered around North Carolina. 

Most of the city has been without power through the weekend where thousands of residents are still stuck at home and dozens of downed trees and power lines further complicating the rescue.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said on Sunday that there are still dangers to come even as Florence has weakened to a tropical depression. 

"This storm has never been more dangerous than it is right now," Cooper said. "Floodwaters are still rising across parts of our state and risk to life is rising with the angry waters."

Evacuation orders were issued by Hoke County officials Sunday night, where water was overtopping a dam there and could potentially breach. The dam held through the night and officials are monitoring the situation and are ready to conduct evacuations if needed.  

The massive storm has left at least 17 people dead, including an infant child who slipped out of his mother's grasp after she drove around a barrier and into the rushing water which swept the car off the road and into a tree. 

Emergency responders in Hampstead, NC found themselves unable to reach a patient who was experiencing a cardiac event after their path was blocked by downed trees. By the time the rescue crews were able to get to the home, the woman had passed away, authorities said. 

Two men in Lenoir County, North Carolina were killed in separate incidents. One man was checking on his dog outside, while another was electricuted while attempting to connect some extension cords to a generator. 

Flash flooding in Duplin County, North Carolina killed at least three people there, the sheriff's office said. A fire in Cumberland County that killed two people is also being blamed on the storm. 

In Union County, South Carolina, a 61-year-old woman was killed after hitting a downed tree while driving. South Carolina officials are also blaming the deaths of a man and a woman in Horry County on carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Power has been knocked out to 700,000 people across two states with rescue crews having difficulty getting into some areas cut off by flooded roads. 

Forecasters say the majority of the rainfall will move out of the Carolinas by Tuesday morning, while Virginia will see some more rain over the next two days, with some parts getting up to 4 inches. 

Photos: Getty Images


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